The Lansing Regional Chamber Economic Club is dedicated to promoting and stimulating economic growth through timely and insightful community forums presented for personal and professional development. The Economic Club provides a forum where local business and community leaders can hear presentations on a broad range of business-related topics. Past presentations have ranged from how global economic trends affect the national and local economy, to hearing how leaders from different walks of life have achieved their success and view of the future. Juliette Okotie-Eboh, Vice President of Community Affairs at the MGM Grand Detroit, will speak at the October luncheon.

This conference examines the poetry & philosophy of Rumi, the 13th-century Muslim poet, philosopher, & mystic, & its relevance to contemporary understandings of Islamic culture. It also deals with renewed interests in Rumi's writings in recent years throughout the Middle East, Europe, & the United States. The starting point of the conference is Rumi's well-known verse "come, come again, whoever you are, come!" Rumi's eloquent & humanistic poetry, written sometimes with a sense of humor, creates a window on Islamic beliefs, values, & wisdom that is far removed from images of violence & terrorism. Bringing well-known scholars of Islamic mysticism, Rumi, & the Middle East together, we explore Rumi's writings, their place in Islamic literature & society, & their resurgence as bestsellers in the West. The universality of Rumi's poetry fosters an understanding of the human experience that transcends the boundaries of nations, religions, & languages.